Brace for club feet



Jam-17,1958; v l M 0. AL. FISCHER BRACE FOR CLUB FEET Filed June 1927 Z22 vaifo-r Ofzilke 1. Fake/181' ilt'oawey Patented Jan, 11,192

UNITED STATES W OTTILLIE, L. FISCHER, OF BANCROFT, NEBRASKA.

'IBRAQE FOR CLUB FEET.

p Application filed June 1,

This invention relates tobraces for remedying or treating club feet in children and particularly to a brace of this character designed to be used for very young children, from birth until the child is about six months old or until the legs get sufiiciently long and the feet are sufficiently large to put on a different brace,;in other words, such a brace as is described and claimed in myco-pending aaplication, Serial No,

Another object is to provide a brace which is formed of sheet metal, which may be readilyput in place upon the foot and removed therefrom and which will not 1 materially interfere with the childs movements. i a a My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherjein2- a f Figure 1 is a side elevation of the brace with the covering andlining removed.- v Figure 2 1s a view looking toward the front of the bracewith the leather lining and covering removed. a Figure 3 isa peispectiveview ofa'club foot brace constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to these drawings-it will be seen that the brace consists of a leg portion A anda foot portion B. The foot portion formed preferably of a single sheet of metal bent to provide two opposed embracing sideslO and 11 connected at 12 but open at 13. 'These side portions approximate in shape the side elevation of the foot.

The sheetmetal of the side portion 11 is "bent inward as at 14 to form the sole of the brace and the side portion lOis bent in at 15 so as to underlie the side portion 15, thus permitting the foot portion of the brace to "belaterally enlarged or widened as may be desired. The forward end of the side portion at its junction with the inwardly turned sole or flange is cut away at 16 and the foot portion of the side 11 is formed overlies the: foot.

i wit-lithe inwardlybent portion 17 which 1927. Serial No. 195,761.

Projecting from the upper or ankle portion of the sides 10 and 11 are the screws 18. These "screws have relatively wide flat heads on their inner faces so as not to protrude and bear unpleasantly against the ankle or foot of the child. The inner faces of the portions 10 and 11 and of the soles are lined and padded to any desired extent, the lining being designated 19 and the outer faces of these portions 10 and 11 are covered preferably with soft leather 20 or like material so that the lining and this outer covering entirely covers and surrounds the metal so that nonietal will come in min tact with the childs foot, leg or ankle.

Dis oscd above the members 10 and 11 to em race the lower le of the childis the leg portion A as previously stated. This consists of a single sheet of metal transversely curved so as to embrace the leg and cut away at 21. Thisleg portion, being cut away at 21, provides two depending portions 22 which overlap the upwardly extending portions 10 and 11 and are pivotally engaged therewith by the screws 18. These screws carry the nuts 23, the screws passing through apertures 24 in the portions 22, and preferably these portions 22 are provided with a plurality of apertures 24 so that the leg portion A may be adjusted vertically upon the foot portion as the child grows. I have showntwoof these. apertures for this purpose but do not wish to be limitedto them.

This leg portion is likewise lined upon the inner surface with any soft material or padding, and is otherwise covered by soft leather or equivalent material. Attached to one side of the leg portion A is a strap 25 and attached to the other leg portion by the stud bolt 26 and nut is a short strap 27 hav- 7 ing a buckle 28 with which the strap 25 is adapted to engage. Held to the lower end of the leg portion by the stud bolts or screws 18 is a strap 29 which extends entirely around the back of the leg, the free end of this strap being engaged with a buckle 30.

Extending entirely around the back of the eased w the buckle on a short strap 36 extending downward from the stud bolt This strap 34 holds the footportion of the brace more or less closed upon the foot while the other straps hold the brace in place upon the :toot.

The front of the brace at the too is open so as to let the foot grow and to give air to the foot. Vhere the baby is very small the leg portion A is not immediately used, but only the foot portion is used. After the baby reaches the age of two or three months, then the leg portion A is put on or adjusted, so that the height of the brace will be relatively short. 'As the baby grows the upper part is raised to the next hole. In treating club feet, the brace put on with the toe portion 1'7 on the inside of the foot, and then this toe portion can be contracted little by little by pulling on the strap gradually a little more and more each day and with the help of massage applied to the foot every day, the foot will be benciited.

This brace is relatively easy on the child and does not cause discom'lort. The inwardly inclined portion 17 is to keep the footfrom coming up or out which a club foot is likely to do. The sides of this brace are hollowed out at the ankle bone so that the brace will not damage the bone in any way by squeezing it too hard. 1 preferably use straps of rubber as they do not slip through the buckles quite so easily and yield to motions of the foot, while at the same time taking up all slack. 7

It is very important that this brace should be formed on the outside of the ankle with a depression or hollow to fit the ankle bone, as if the metal is not hollowed at the ankle bone and not padded at this point, then on removing the brace it will be found that the ankle bone has been pressed upon and pressed hard, whereas it the brace is hollowed at this point and padded a little, it will not press no matter how tight the foot is strapped in the brace. The brace is cut away at the back, as at 13 and 21, so as to make the brace as light as possible and also in order that the person adjusting the brace can feel whether the heel is in the brace or not.

While it the brace is padded suiliciently it might be worn on the bare feet, it is preterably worn over the stocking and not over a shoe, at least where a baby is wearing a brace.

I claim 1. A foot brace for club feet including a :foot portion having sideinembers adapted to engage the ankle and the sides of the foot, each side member being formed with a sole portion, the sole portions overlapping, and means whereby these side portions may be graduallydrawn toward each other,

2. A foot brace for club feet including 3 foot-portion having side members adapted to V engage the ankle and the sides of the foot, each side member being formed with a sole portion, the sole portions overlapping, and means whereby these side portions may be gradually drawn toward each other, one of said side portions having an inwardly extending part overlapping the footand pre venting the foot from being lifted upward out of the brace. r

3. A ioot brace for a club l'oot comprising a foot embracing portion and a lege'mbracing portion, both of these portions being open at the front and having straps whereby they may be engaged with the leg, the foot portion at its upper end having outwardly projecting stud bolts and the leg portion having a plurality of apertures arranged in vertical series through which the stud bolts may be passed whereby the leg portionsmay be vertically adjusted relative to the foot portion.

4:. A foot brace for a club foot comprising a footmubracing portion and a leg embracin g portion, both of these portions being open at the front and having straps whereby they may be engaged with the leg, the foot portion at its upper end having outwardly projecting stud bolts and the leg portion having a plurality of apertures arranged in vertical series through which the stud bolts may be passed whereby the leg portions may be adjusted with thefoot portion, the foot portion comprising side members yieldingly held to each other at their rear'ends, the side members having over-lapping sole-portions, one of the side members being cut away at its j unction with the sole portion, and a strap attached to the other sole portion adapted to extend through said opening, the side member having the cutaway portion being provided with a buckle with which said strap is adapted to engage. a

5. A brace for club feet including a foot portion formed of a single sheet of metal bent to provide two sideinembers each having the outline of a foot, the foot portion of the brace being cut away at the back from the top approximately half the length of the foot portion, each of said side members being formed with a sole portion, said sole portions overlapping each other, one of said. side members having a portion extending inward and upward, the other side member at its jmiclion with the sole portion being lormed, with areccss, a. strap attached to the other sole portion and normally extending through said recess, the recessed side member having a buckle with which the strap is adapted to engage, and straps and buckles whereby the brace may be held upon the foot. g V 6. A brace for treating club feet comprising a foot portion and leg portion, one of said portions having an outwardly projecta ing pivot pin and the other portion having a having straps whereby they may be held in plurality of vertically aligned apertures, place, the upper part ofthe foot portion at through any one of whiehthe pivot pin may the back and the lower of the leg portion at 10 be passed whereby the leg portion and foot the back being cut away. A

l 5 portion may be relatively adjusted and In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my whereby they are pivotally connected to eignature. each other, the foot portion and leg portion OTTILLIE L. FISCHER. 

